Cybernetic Futures
Online Art Exhibitions
Infinite SELF In Space
ZER0
ZER0
ZER0 combines an illustration by Anna Utopia Giordano with a musical composition by space pianist Leonardo Barilaro. The work was launched on 15 March 2023 as part of the Maleth III research mission and reached the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. It remained on the station for a month, hosted on the scientific Ice Cubes platform. On 11 April 2023, ZER0 was live-streamed from the ISS to audiences on Earth in an event with the artists and the mission’s scientific team.
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Artist Statement by Anna Utopia Giordano
ZER0 emerges from the tension between concept and representation. It is a digital illustration I created using AI text-to-image tools, refined through post-production. But above all, it is an image that encapsulates a profound idea: nothingness, paradox, infinity.
In 2023, ZER0 left Earth for a month, alongside Leonardo Barilaro’s musical composition, and reached the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX CRS-27 mission, carrying with it a meditation on emptiness and presence—the visible and the invisible.​​
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What is Nothing?
WHAT IS NOTHING? By Anna Utopia Giordano
When I was invited to create an artwork to accompany Leonardo’s composition — which would soon travel into space — the first thing that came to my mind was a question my father once asked me when I was a child: “What is nothing?”. I still remember that day vividly. He led me, at a tender age, to reflect on the concept of nothing, emptiness, and infinity — and through this, on the universe, the multiverse, and theories such as chaos and string theory, allowing my thoughts to unfold in many directions.
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Much of what I study, reflect on, and propose in my works (poetry, visual art, video art, performance, etc.) originates from philosophical reflections and in-depth scientific exploration. I often describe my practice not as art but as a form of visual philosophy.
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While developing ZER0, I returned to that childhood question “What is nothing?”, especially since I had lost my father to severe illness, and this became the starting point for my creative approach. The concept, generation, and post-production of the image unfolded together. I usually allow myself to be guided by a verse of poetry, a dialogue, a mathematical equation, a philosophical term or concept, or even just a detail, and as I create, I simultaneously pursue a personal philosophical reflection. My works often feel to me like extensions of these inner reflections.​
THE TECHNICAL & SCIENTIFIC APPARATUS
The illustration and musical composition were launched into space on March 15, 2023 (00:30 UTC) as part of the biomedical research mission Maleth III. The mission was coordinated by Prof. Joseph Borg of the University of Malta in collaboration with MCAST and MG2i - MCAST Gateway to Industry, and leader of Spaceomix. Maleth III and ZER0 were aboard the SpaceX CRS-27 mission (NASA and SpaceX), part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Service, and was destined for the International Space Station. The Cargo Dragon C209 capsule, carrying supplies, equipment, and scientific research, departed from the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket. It successfully reached and docked with the ISS on March 16, 2023, at 11:31 UTC. For a month, the music and artwork, along with Maleth III, were stored in the ISS onboard computer's SD card on an Ice Cubes platform. This platform was successfully installed by astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. The live stream from the ISS took place on April 11, 2023, and featured Prof. Joseph Borg, Roberto Tiscio (Deputy Director at MCAST), Veronica Botti (System Engineer of Space Application Services), Leonardo Barilaro, and Anna Utopia Giordano.
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Maleth III Photo credits: ESA / NASA / Sultan Al Neyadi
Videoframe from Youtube video (live streaming):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsQ4J8NiHFU
Participants:
Dr. Leonardo Barilaro (aka The Space Pianist)
Professor Joseph Borg (University of Malta)
Ing. Veronica Botti (Space System Engineer at Space Application Services NV/SA at that time, now Payload Integration Manager for ISS Payloads at ESA)
Artist Anna Utopia Giordano
Ing. Roberto Tiscio (MCAST Deputy Director)
From Nothing 0 To INFINITY
Moon Infinity, ISS ( low Earth orbit)
By Plamen Yordanov
Artist Statement
Moon Infinity represents various concepts tied to the idea of being "without end", spanning philosophy, mathematics, and theology. This sculpture draws inspiration from the Möbius strip - a surface with only one side and a single boundary. In this piece, I merge two Möbius strips along shared edges, creating a rich and captivating 3D form. The result symbolizes continuity and the infinite cycle of life.
The piece itself - Infinity - is a single cast form in solid silver, approximately 1x1x1 cm. It orbited Earth from February 19, 2022 thill January 9, 2023, when it returned on Earth.
The same piece is planned to be sent to the Moon as a part of the Moon Gallery project.
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Launch window: Late 2025 (exact date pending)
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Landing site: Nobile Region, Lunar South Pole
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Mission details: SpaceX Falcon 9 | Lifeship’s payload aboard the Astrobotic FLIP rover
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MOON INFINITY
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INFINITY (Double Mobius Strip) by Plamen Yordanov "Re: Contemplating the Void" Guggenheim Museum New York, 2009
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INFINITY Double Mobius Strip by Plamen Yordanov
Contemplating the Void - Guggenheim Museum New York, 2009
Plamen Yordanov-All Rights Reserved
“I advocate for art that transcends traditional models and generates a new reality. My goal is to inspire perspectives that extend beyond conventional boundaries, exploring an inherent order present in nature that can be continually reimagined. My work aims to serve as a signal, offering viewers an opportunity to delve into their own experiences and thoughts. These universal signals prompt personal responses, allowing individuals to craft their own unique realities.” Plamen Yordonov